Obj. ID: 37356  Davar Shmuel by Shmuel ben Avraham Abohav, Venice, 1702

This text was prepared by William Gross:

Sefer Dvar Shmuel, responsa, by Rabbi Shmuel Abuhav. Venice, 1702. First edition. Handwritten signature of holy "Rabbi Yaakov HaCohen of Prague" upon title page. This signature is the familiar and well-known signature of the prominent sage of his generation, the genius Maharich - Rabbi Yaakov HaCohen Poppers (1670-1730), Av Beit Din of Frankfurt am Main, author of Shev Yaakov. Born in Prague and educated in Yeshivot of the city. At a young age already served as "Aflant" [sole Dayan for cases of arbitration]. At age 27 was appointed Av Beit Din in Koblenz. In 1718 arrived in Frankfurt am Main and was appointed by Rabbi Shmuel Shatin Katz to fill the position of Rabbi Avraham Broda as rabbi of the city and Rosh Yeshiva. This yeshiva became famous for its students who were Torah giants, as related by the Ramchal in a letter": "a yeshiva of three hundred Torah scholars, who possess a wide heart to understand and to master". The Chida, in his book Shem HaGedolim, writes about Rabbi Yaakov HaCohen: "Spread Torah in his prominent and great yeshiva of four hundred exalted students, and educated many students, and many Torah sages were disciples of his, including Rabbi Yosef Steinhardt Av Beit Din of the holy congregation of Furth, author of Zichron Yosef Responsa, the proficient and erudite Rabbi Yosef Vashir-Trilingen Dayan of Ansbach and Rabbi Yaakov Berlin author of Be'er Yaakov".
The Vendramin Hebrew press was established in 1630 by Giovanni Vendramin, who thereby broke the monopoly enjoyed by the Bragadin family in Venice. The press eventually joined with that of Bragadin, however, and the combined presses continue to operate well into the 18th C.